Enchanting 7-Day Costa Rica Family Vacation

Ride a pleasure boat along Pacific beaches on this Costa Rica cruise.

What to expect on this itinerary

This luxurious 7-day journey combines three iconic destinations with adventures on volcanos, in the cloud forest, on Pacific beaches, and within wildlife refuges. Green, tranquil, wild, and full of wonder, Costa Rica is an enchanting destination for a family foray with a focus on interactive fun. Hot springs and bucolic lodges provide space to unwind, and private activities provide your family with much of the best of Costa Rica. Get ready to explore La Paz, Manuel Antonio National Park, Arenal, and Monteverde.

Countries Visited

Costa Rica

Places Visited

La Paz, Manuel Antonio, Arenal, Monteverde Cloud Forest

Suggested Duration

7 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

La Paz – Smothered in Cacao

Your Costa Rican vacation will begin the moment that you land in San Jose, and a nearby cacao plantation will be the perfect place to engage your kids immediately. You will be picked up at the airport by your driver and transferred to La Paz. Along the way, you will stop at an organic farm, where you can wander through the cacao bushes and wonder how such a bizarre plant can create such a delicious delicacy. From the cacao plantation, you will continue your journey to La Paz, which is a small destination that is surrounded by lush valleys. Here, your welcoming dinner will be complemented by traditional song and dance and a platter of local cuisine.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Tour
Dinner
Day 2

La Paz – Wonders of an Active Volcano

Day 3

Manuel Antonio National Park – Pacific Ocean Bliss

Day 4

Manuel Antonio National Park – Costa Rican Wildlife

Day 5

Arenal – Ziplining Through the Trees

Day 6

Arenal – The Hanging Bridges of Monteverde

Day 7

Arenal – Intimate Wildlife Encounters

Trip Highlights

  • Venture up-close and personal with an incredible range of wildlife in Manuel Antonio National Park, including sloths and monkeys
  • Discover cacao from bean to bar, and your kids will have the opportunity to smear their faces in chocolate
  • Immerse yourself in the cloud forest and walk together across the hanging bridges of Monteverde
  • Relax into the blissful atmosphere of Manuel Antonio National Park, where quiet Pacific beaches help you escape your everyday
  • Fly through the trees on a thrilling zipline adventure beneath Arenal volcano
  • Indulge in a visit to a wildlife sanctuary to learn more about Costa Rica’s wildlife and to look endangered monkeys in the eye
  • Luxuriate around in thermal hot springs, which is the soporific way to unwind after your family adventures around Arenal
  • Enjoy a treasure hunt on an active volcano, which will include peering into its bubbling crater and searching for hidden waterfalls

Detailed Description

Costa Rica is perfect for families who want comfort with their adventure. Safe and surprisingly small, Costa Rica is a country that packs a wonderful array of experiences into a landscape of wild biodiversity and protected national parks. Volcanos rise like kings above the interior with their iconic shapes towering above cloud forests and tropical hues. Golden Pacific beaches often provide a refreshing breeze, and the thermal hot springs create places to completely unwind. Howler and capuchin monkeys may present themselves in the jungle, while sloths and more than 800 different birds can be witnessed among the trees. During your luxurious, 7-day adventure, you will have excellent family time as Costa Rica is a place to both relax and explore together.

This idyllic, 7-day journey has been handcrafted to include three distinctive destinations, so you can discover three unique sides to the country. La Paz is convenient to travel from San Jose, which is the main international airport, and will create charming experiences with cacao, coffee, and a very active volcano. Manuel Antonio National Park will provide beachside bliss with intimate wildlife experiences. It is also a place where the rolling surf meets monkeys and where you can watch the wide-eyed wonder of your kids. The Arenal area is all about adventure tourism, such as ziplining and walking across hanging bridges in a cloud forest, but the thermal springs and spectacular views mean that this is also a place where you can unwind and find tranquility.

These three destinations will be connected by short local flights, and with seven days in Costa Rica, you can discover much more by flying than you could by losing a day or two on the road. All of your activities will be private, so whether you are smearing your kid’s face in raw cacao or searching for quetzals in the cloud forest, your exact itinerary can be timetabled and customized to you. Hotels and lodges have also been handpicked for their family suitability, and inter-connected rooms will keep you together.

Over these exciting seven days, you will be provided with the opportunity to come face to face with three monkey species, discover some of the world’s finest coffee, ride a sky tram above the forest canopy, and indulge in a family treasure hunt around an active volcano. They have a local saying in Costa Rica that you will hear regularly: Pura Vida, which means that life is very good indeed. Life can be almost perfect when you can explore such wondrous locations with the family on a vacation that will make a week feel like a lifetime of memories.

Starting Price

$1,700 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 887 reviews

Allison A.
Costa Rica Trip Review: 8 Nights

We used a Zicasso travel expert to plan our trip. The trip was absolutely fabulous and the service was very easy to use. We would definitely use them again.

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Tara I.
Costa Rica Trip Review: Isla Chiquita, 1 Week

Zicasso's travel company was very attentive and followed up with us throughout the trip to make sure we were doing well. We had an awesome time and would recommend them to anyone planning a trip to Costa Rica

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Lolli H.
Costa Rica Travel Review: Catamaran Trip, Ziplining, National Park, 8 Nights

Everything was arranged thoughtfully, with time for "adventures" and downtime at terrific resorts to relax. All pick-ups, travel by limo, and drop-offs went as arranged. The drivers, guides, and hotel staff were all very pleasant and kind. Zicasso's tour operator did a great job planning our eight-day, family-of-10 trip to Costa Rica! We appreciated that most tours, hikes, and ocean experiences were small groups of just our group of 10. This made it a personal and annoyance-free experience all around. Thanks!

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David M.
Costa Rica Vacation Review: Family Time, 8 Nights

The Zicasso tour company was very accommodating. They put together a great itinerary and when we wanted to add something, it was no problem.

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JESSICA V.
Costa Rica Trip Review: Private Driver, Culture, 9 Nights

We had an unbelievably great trip! Everything went smoothly, was already lined up by Zicasso's tour company, and communication was excellent. The private drivers between locations were excellent and very informative. We could not have asked for a better experience!

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Tim K.
Costa Rica Tour Review: Ziplining, Wildlife, 1 Week

We loved our trip. Zicasso's travel specialist did an awesome job of listening to what we wanted ahead of time and tailoring the itinerary to that.

We had one very minor issue where a tour was running late to pick us up and we were able to get in touch with him easily to make sure we were still on track, which he confirmed as they arrived. We'll reach out to them for sure when it's time to go back.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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